MY WITCH 08: The Labyrinth
by NotQuiteNormOld
Summary: Part 8 of MY WITCH series. I'm trying to write a little better. Will-centric  /Caleb centric/and surpise, surprise, WxC.. :
1. Chapter 1

Okay, bare with me. I'm testing a new method of writing for this chapter, and it's more work for me, but I think this is better than my previos work when dubbing episodes. Tell me what you think of the style as I may continue more like this and maybe also go back to rewrite the first couple episodes too eventually..

I'm also not actually 100% of Mr Pudington's name, but it was down in a forum so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong!

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><p><strong>\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cedric bowed down in the centre of the murmur room, taking his form as a young man. He had newly been apointed Lord by the young Prince Phobos, of whom he eagerly followed rule.

_"The rebellion grows weaker every day Lord Cedric, and I trust you intend to crush them soon?"_

Cedric would much prefer to see the face of the young prince. The rumours spread that he had been a beauty as a babe, with the face of an angel. The paintings of the royals were all residing in this room, but covering the walls and hanging from the ceiling; protruding over every inch of the room, except the path kept for communicators to walk, were what the young Prince called murmurers. Enchanted plants, altered and mutated into almost life-forms. Stuck between living and dead, the beings -it was said- each posessed a minute fraction of the Prince's soul, making them shadows of the man and thus each would carry forth to his command. They would be his eyes and ears. They would protect him from the dangers of the world, from the unpurified land that surrounded him.

By chance Cedric looked up.

A child.

A boy.

Taking in his surroundings with large solumn eyes, before he began struggling to stand. He looked as though he were having some kind of seizure as panic crossed his face. Cedric was lost for words. _How had such a boy entered the grounds, never mind the room, when still the murmurers did not react?_

"Guards!"

Finally the boy took note, startling green eyes flashed with anger when they reached Cedric, who strode toward him fearcly.

_"Calling an alarm?" _The voices of the murmurers were filled with mirth, and it took Cedric a minute to recompose hisself from the state of panic he was approaching. The boy was whispering, mumbling below his breath.

"Speak up boy."

_"Boy? Cedric, you know better than to disrespect. Or are you simply indulging into madness?" _Cedric gawked. The child was in sync. He spoke the words as did the murmurers. Whats more, the child appeared appaled by this fact. Realization of himself was sending the young male into a fit of panic.

"Don't _murmur _boy."

Cedric could only watch then, as the boy found his stamina quite suddenly, backing against the wall and agiley crossing, over and around the weeding surroundings of Prince Phobos' emissaries. It was then, and only then, that the spies began wailing.

_"Attack on the castle! The Garden is incomplete! One is missing!"_

But Cedric had only seen one leave. Bare and exposed; unable to hide anything to take.

**/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\**

Cedric, Lord of Meridian and Prince Phobos' second hand poured the enchanted sands of Escanor over his crystal orb - a mere vase to the human eye, but the Lord better knew that the orb was a source of communication between himself and the prince. A much prefered communication to that of the murmurers; he did not trust the unnatural beings. Surrounding him as they did. If another were to arouse, it would only have to reach him from behind to slit his throat. And there was no question of whether it would be quiet enough. Placidity was their duty. No, Cedric much prefered the solid walls surrounding him now. High rising shelves of books, encasing the stories of the world. Some held knowledge, others imagination. The Fictional books of this planet exposed the neglegence and ignorance that mortal human's carried. In this realm, magic was oversighted as myth and the idea was simply brushed under the cupboards with the dust. Cedric was masterly here. He liked that.

"Lord Cedric, I am becoming impatient for good news." Cedric bowed to the paragon glass as image swirled into veiw of his Prince's face. Cedric daren't look, forbid he do so and be punished, though the image of his master remained in his mind.

"I have found an inversion point between Meridian and this Earth bookstore. The store will provide a perfect cover during the search for the girl."

"Good." Cedric allowed the corners of his mouth to rise as he suspected his young master would be. "Once she is found, we must allure her with care. She is a butterfly and we must hold the net steady until she is close enough to be aprehended."

**...**

Irma Lair scribbled ferrociously on her paper as her Religious Study teacher, Mr Pudington rambled on, muttering more ums, and ahhs than he did actual words to his sentences. She glanced up from her, rather acurate half-monkey type doodle of him to see that he was at that moment using his tie to clean the blackboard. It was a shame she was almost done; a drawing of his current state would be far more entertaining. She would consider turning over to a new page to start, but then she feared it may seem to onlooking students as though she were actually taking notes. That was never a good thing, especially not in a lesson where in an hour she could be ahead of the teacher by writing not even a complete coherent sentence.

"You'll find, you appreciate the, uhh, time you've, amm, spent, ah, studying the uhh, err, the um.."

"The origins of myth!" Irma cracked a smile at her friend Hay Lin, holding up the paper and twisting it from one diagonal to the other; making Mr Pudington dance, while Taranee Cook held her hand up, answering Mr Pudington without him having to ask a question.

"YES! Thank you." Mr Pudington clapped his hands together, forming a cloud of chalky dust and causing him to cough a few times. Irma sniggered and Hay Lin palmed her own hand as the class tried not to laugh. He was more airheaded than the chinese girl herself. "Now," He fumbled about in his bag before carelessly extracting a wad of unruley papers, "Your mid-term essays!"

The class could no longer contain themselves, erupting as the papers flew from Mr Pudington's hands and across the floor. The laughter of few pupils at the front became significantly louder as the man began uttering replacements for cursing while he scrabbled about the room, tripping over his own feet as he stumbled to each new sheet of work, often tearing the papers, causing another 'replacement curse' to fall from the man's mouth.

"Some of you," He bit his lip as a sheet tore clear in half, "Performed better that I expected, while others, erm, ahh, failed to perform at all.." Irma's face fell as Mr Pudington approached, wincing with every step he took. She turned to Hay Lin with a face of pure panic, only finding herself looking at the same expression.

"I lost conciousness somewhere around Zeus' third wife!" Irma bleated anxiously, while Mr P. sifted through the papers. He pushed the sheet into Irma's hand and she stared at it blankly. Or more importantly, she stared at the grade. "Are you sure this is mine?"

Mr Pudington raised a curious eyebrow at Irma as she studied the sheet, the room silent with apprehension. What Irma was graded was usually standpoint for the lowest grade you might have gotten, so the pupils were all ears.

"It's my _terrible _handwriting.. I got a **B**?" Irma beamed up at the man, and unnoticed to herself, the room seemed to sigh simultaneously. "That means I can get a D on the next one and still pass!"

Mr Pudington rolled his eyes, handing Hay Lin her essay. The girl lit up almost as much as Irma had, "No way! Me too!" She held out her hand for Irma to five with her own, Michael Jackson milking it; "Ow!"

Mr Pudington further moved through the class, being followed by a string of cheers until he reached Taranee's desk. "Taranee. See me after class." The girl's dark skin paled and her jaw dropped.

**...**

"Oh, oh I don't know! What do you recommend?" Caleb looked down at the man he was servicing at the Silver Dragon restaurant, his peircing green eyes bore into the poor man like a dagger into flesh.

"That you hurry up. I've got other customers." It was bad enough that he had to put up with four clueless girls, plus one who'd probably bite, but now Caleb was stood, wearing a short white apron around his waist, serving apparently the inhabbitants of Earth. These people strode in, claiming to be hungry, and demanding superiority of him, when not one of them deserved it. These people were idiots.

"Excuse me sir, my wife asked for water with _no _ice?" Caleb couldn't stand it here. It was bright. It was warm. And everywhere he went, the air seemed thick enough to choke in. This was not tolerable, even for his standards.

Caleb took a breath before he turned his head, and yet when he spoke the words remained curt, "Then tell her to wait until it melts! You people wouldn't last a day in Meridian." He turned back to his current 'customer' and scowled as the man reread his menu for the third time since he'd arrived at the table.

"What's the szechuan chicken taste like?" Caleb growled, slamming his notepad against the table and walking away. These people weren't even literate of their own language! _'What's it taste like'! _Caleb ought to cut out the man's tongue before telling him it wouldn't matter what it tasted like. In the rebellion a complaint or question like these would cost a weeks rations!

Caleb picked up a plate of the offending dish from another table, slamming it down alongside his notepad. "It's like this, but there's more of it. It tastes like chicken." Caleb watched the man's jaw drop as Yan Lin approached him.

"Escuse me, excuse me. Ahh, Caleb!" She gave the customer a polite wave, taking Caleb by the arm and leading him toward the back. "I think we can spare you from up front for a few minutes!"

"Suits me." Caleb took his apron off with a single tug to the strap and sneered, "Are they always like this?" The woman stared after the boy with narrow eyes for a moment before following behind.

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><p>Doing some research this morning and as a shadow of Phobos, I want Caleb to have similarities, so I'm giving him very slight psychopathic tendancies - VERY slight as in like at first Caleb has trouble recognising the wrong in certain people suffering and he can't recognise the boundaries of what's appropriate or not until he has been told (as Aldarn told Caleb about touching women's lips).<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

My hair is pink and I've snagged a shot on my sister's computer to finish this chapter as my time literally hit 0:00 as I wrote that Will's mom poked her head in the door. :/

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><p>"I am <em>very <em>disappointed that you failed to turn in an essay Miss Cook."

"That I _what_?" Taranee Cook stood at the front of the empty classroom, facing the famed 'school-loon', Mr Pudington, awaiting the bad news of her Mid-term paper. The news she just received was _not _what she'd expected.

Mr Pudington awkwardly twiddled his thumbs and Taranee's eyes automatically drew to the large white chalk-stain left on his blazer by his even more dust ridden tie. "If you couldn't finish in time, you should have asked for a.. Ehh, um, you know, a, uhh, you know one of those things you ask for.. When you can't finish.."

"But I turned it in a day early!" Taranee was usually patient of Mr Pudington's imbecility, but a lost essay was _not _a funny joke. "It was on Theseus.. And the Minotaur..?"

"An extension!" The man snapped his fingers, making Taranee blink. This could not be happening. Taranee Cook did not misplace her assignments.

"I can email it to you the second I get home!" Taranee clasped her hands together as if in prayer, but the ridiculous Religion teacher only shook his balding head.

"A deadline's a deadline Miss.. Aghmm.. Anyway, you get an F on this paper." Taranee couldn't breathe. He had said it. She was sure he had said it. Yet she couldn't believe it. She felt as though she might cry, watching the man shuffle out of the room; the cuffs of his trousers not quite reaching his socks.

**...**

Caleb stared expressionlessly at the whirring machine before him as it emitted a greenish glow. The noise was horrendous. It cast out a constant earsplitting wail which over drew the underlying drone. He knew Blunk was behind him, if not for the sound, but the smell. Caleb glanced as another sheet of paper flew from the machine into the pile, no longer blank, but now brandishing an identical lettering and image as the original menu he had placed in the top of the 'copier'. It did exactly what it said.

"Ooh!" Caleb could only imagine the look of awe on the passling's face; the creature was probably all but drooling. Possibly also drooling. "How it do it!"

Caleb grimaced, at both the smell and the annoyance Blunk was causing him to withstand. "I don't know 'how it do it'. All I know is this machine will produce identical maps for all of my field commanders." Caleb let out a loud exhale and smiled sarcastically, "Right after I finish copying tomorrow's _yummy _shrimp specials_!_"

Caleb glanced at the passling as he straightened the pile of menus; Blunk was pushing and licking the machine. Caleb smirked, "What's the matter? Too big to steal?"

He was all to aware that he sounded more like an Earth-human than ever, thanks to the small Chinese air guardian who had deemed him her new 'brother'. Caleb did not associate people as family. He doubted the child would want him as her brother if she knew that the closest to Caleb having kin was Phobos. Julian had been a fool in trying to adopt the role of father for Caleb, and he thought that as with Julian he would save Hay Lin the trouble of disappointment by refraining himself from her assigned position.

Caleb pat the smuggler's head in mocking of it's helplessness, before retreating to find Yan Lin with the half of Menus he had completed.

Unknown to Caleb, Blunk then pulled a stool over to the machine, pressing his face against it, his hand colliding with the control panel so the machine again began to whir.

**...**

"If Professor Collins wasn't the beast that we _know _is living in Heatherfield," Will gazed out of her window onto the streets below and the afternoon sun, "Then _who _is?"

"The woman said that to reveal the beast, you have to touch it with the Heart of Kandrakar.." Will watched Hay Lin catch and throw one of her numerous toy frogs onto Irma's head, following the stuffed animal as it then bounced to Cornelia, who continued the circle.

"Well I can't just go round the _whole city_, touching people with a crystal!" Will twisted her face in consideration of the idea.

"He lost it! I can't believe he lost my essay!" Will looked into the space between her bed and her nightstand where Taranee Cook had huddled, hugging her knees, ever since she'd arrived.

"Taranee! We all grieve for your loss," Cornelia cooed as if to a young child, Will cringed in anticipation of what happened next as the blonde's voice hardened to a scold, "But the world's been invaded by monsters! Focus!"

"He's looking for one of us!" Will shoved her hands into her pocket; she felt as though she should side with Taranee, and perhaps signify Cornelia's wrong, but instead she bit her lip as Irma joined back into the conversation.

"We don't know that!" Will was all too aware of the mistake she'd made with her history teacher, and had since been constantly berating herself for her insolence; considering that the rebel leader was yet to have the chance.

"Pleease!" Irma waved away Will's words, "He comes here. He's looking for someone our age! What do you think he wants! A babysitter?" Will looked at her shoes, humbled by the bold water guardian.

"What if one of us is his secret evil granddaughter! I saw that in a movie once and the girl was like super mondo-creeped!" Hay Lin hyped herself up with her own idea.

Will raised a timid hand to point out that not only had she seen the tyrant Phobos, but he'd seemed far too young to have a granddaughter, though, she thought, Caleb had said there was a time warping thing, she dropped her hand. Taranee continued to mutter that her teacher had lost the essay, while the girls sighed.

"Hey guys!" Susan Vandom poked her head around the door of her daughter's bedroom and smiled at the girls. "Will's got extra math homework, your gonna have to say goodbye!" Will glared at her mother. She didn't recall having homework..

"Mom! Mrs Rudolph didn't give me extra homework!" Will was all too aware of the look Cornelia had sent her as she whined petulantly.

Susan Vandom however only grinned at her daughter's childishness, "No.. I did. After reading your midterm report."

Will watched helplessly as the girls all stood to leave; Hay Lin propping the frog on Will's desk so it sat by itself with it's long arms and legs hanging by it's sides. She looked at them longingly, "Help. Me."

Irma turned and smiled sympathetically, "Okay. The line between two numbers.. Means you subtract." Will made a face as Irma winked, blew a kiss and left her to her mother's wrath.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm quite liking this method. Plus, I may go to my sisters again to get some more written, but that'll be after 5pm, so you might wanna check about 7pm tonight for more. :)

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><p>"Why <em>this <em>bookstore? Why can't we get our study books at the mall or the school library?" Hay Lin strolled towards an old building with her friends. Cornelia had chosen the place - it wasn't unusual as she generally 'led the pack' until Will had arrived. It was only to be expected that she'd pick up where she left off in Will's absence.

The building was a large contrast to the glass panelled high-risers that surrounded it. In fact, until the last minute the building was estimated to be knocked down next, all to make room for modern society. But then it had been bought and the owner apparently wanted to keep the store for selling books. _Ye Olde' Bookshop. _Hay Lin personally thought it was nice to still have some little places. Modern buildings were made identical and the little bookstore seemed to eb character to her.

"Because the mall bookstore doesn't have a tall, hunky manager!" Apparently this character was lost on Elyon Brown however, who, as per usual, had zoned in on the man rather than the manner. Elyon had a gift when it came to sniffing out hotties.

"With jet-black eyes and a devilish smile!" And Cornelia had a gift when it came to obtaining them. Hay Lin smiled at the girls, though to be honest she wasn't particularly interested. It was all about a personality for her, not looks. For example, Cornelia was already smitten to Caleb (though she was yet to admit it) and yet, Hay Lin found that he spent most of his time being rather cold and distant. In fact, it was actually only since he had asked her advice about Will.

Hay Lin hadn't expected any sort of question like that from him, and he'd spent most of the next morning trying to make it clear, but Hay Lin understood what he'd meant. He had said he'd never seen a girl before. She supposed it was quite like studying a flower for the first time. There was nothing but innocence intended, as far as she knew. She couldn't really see any spark between the rebel and Will, so she supposed it was just as he'd said it. Though she did find it curious that he was unsure as to whether he'd kissed her. At sight they'd instantly pegged him a stud, but he didn't seem to have any experience. She'd also heard from Elyon and Cornelia that he'd basically gone on a date with Alchemy, yet denied it right there in the coffee shop.

"Maybe if I go back and retrace my steps, I'll find it in a bush or something.." Hay Lin walked with Irma, Cornelia and Elyon, while Taranee continued to fret behind them about her missing paper. "..Or on the curb, I thought I saw some papers over there..

"Hi!" Cornelia instantly took lead role, shouting out into the large store. Books were piled high and some fallen over the tables in chaotic, dusty confusion. The place was a mess. Hay Lin liked it. "Where are the middleschool textbooks?"

Hay Lin gazed up at the high ceilings, with large rectangular lights not unlike those in Sheffield Institute. The place had a slight musky scent and Hay Lin wondered if she should point out the corners to Taranee; as they were layered with thick spindling cobwebs.

"All over I'm afraid. There's more in the back." The voice echoed through the shelves, and Hay Lin was given a slight urge to call out, just to hear her own voice bounce around the room.

As if set to do so, the group split into two groups and headed into the clutter; Cornelia and Elyon heading in the direction from which the voice seemed to have originally came.

"I'm still getting, organized."

Footsteps sounded louder than they should be to the air guardian as she took advantage of her hearing abilities to zone out of Irma and Taranee's conversation and onto the older girls'. Hay Lin let her fingers stroke past the spines of the middle row of books as she walked along, listening happily.

"Oh, me too!" Hay Lin smiled as Cornelia giggled flirtatiously, to this girl it didn't matter how old he was! "I'm Cornelia!"

"Elyon Brown. Hi!"

"Rick Hoffman." Hay Lin liked the sound of the mans voice; it lazily contrasted the higher voices of the girls in a melodic way. Hay Lin couldn't help but hum absent mindedly as the looked over the books, without really seeing them, occasionly trying to glance through to see the man on the other side of the shelf.

"Ugh!" Hay Lin glanced around as another voice interupted her 'signal'. "Old store; new flies!" Hay Lin scrunched up her nose as she heard a loud slurping noise coming from the voice's direction. She was about 90% sure it was Blunk.

The girl stopped humming as she noticed a certain book, a thick, maroon spine, with odd, black lettering that wasn't quite natural for in an Earth bookstore. "Guys, guys, guys!"

She got Taranee and Irma's attention, and as they gaped, Cornelia strolled round the corner beaming. "His ponytail is so cute! I mean-"

"Corny! Look at the words on this book!" Irma pinted animatedly at the book, waving her arm around and nearly hitting Hay Lin square in the face.

Cornelia gave Irma an icy glare as she swayed up the isle, "I told you to stop calling me-" Hay Lin watched another jaw drop. "Oh my gosh.. Is that.."

"It's the Meridian graffiti!" Suddenly all thoughts of a missing school assignment left Taranee, her interest soley on the book.

Hay Lin stepped forward, reaching out, "I wonder if the writing's the same ins-"

She touched the book and the four girls instantly disappeared, much to the panic of the passling, who happened to be watching from above.. "Girls.. Then no girls.."

"Guys!" Elyon Brown walked into the isle, searching for her friends. "Cornelia..?"

**...**

"Hmmm... 'X' equals..." Will Vandom droned to herself as she pried her eyelids open once more. She squinted down at the page. " 'X' equals... Oh! Twelve!" She began scrawling the answer into her jotter before she became lost as to how it equaled twelve and changed her mind. She thought to herself as she flipped over the textbook and flicked through the answers, _'so the correct answer of course is!', _" 'X' equals 'Y' squared? That's not even math. That's spelling."

The room was shadowed over, the harsh light of her lamp hurting her eyes, illuminating the desk space in front of her, along with half of her favourite frog teddy, which Hay Lin had previously found as a source of entertainment.

"Hey," She twisted the lamp, focusing it onto the frog and smiled sleepily. If she were going mad, doing her math homework, she might aswell be going mad talking to fake-frogs. "Do you have math in frog world? You'd need it, to keep track of one-hundred-thousand kids, ha!" Will twisted the lamp to it original position, "Of course, most of them are eaten by ducks..."


	4. Chapter 4

Love C for the 'Bored' part.

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><p>Hay Lin visably shivered, "Brrrr! Did you guys just feel something!"<p>

"Bored."

Irma glared daggers at Cornelia's bluntness. That was _her _job. "I felt it!"

"Um.." Taranee swept past Irma nervously. "Was this isle as big as this when we walked in?"

Irma looked up to find that the already large bookstore seemed to have increased severely in height and length. Thousands of books must've been packed along the two shelves on either side of her; they stretrched on and up for about ten time what they'd been a minute ago.

"Oh, no.. I broke the bookstore.." If it weren't scarily true Irma would laugh at the quivering girl; Hay Lin was well known for wildly exhaggerated emotion, but the panic washing over her now seemed fittingly appropriate, and matching to what was churning at the bottom of Irma's stomach. "All I did was touch the book! Maybe if I do it again it'll cha-"

Hay Lin reached her hand up to the book, but shrank back as the spine began to glow blindingly. Irma stared at the light that was quickly covering the shelves.

"Let's get out of here!" Irma ran along with the others, sliding to a halt at the end of the shelf, but to the groups dismay the entire building appeared to have enlarged. The girls took a swift left and ran along another long isle, stopping at the center of four isle-options. "Wow! He renovated fast!"

"This is not our world.." Taranee face went from panic-struck to that of realisation, "Oh no! Everybody back up; take two right turns!"

"Why?"

"'Cause we just made two left turns." Without understanding, Irma shrugged at Hay Lin and followed behing the African-american. "It's a labyrinth! Like Theseus and the Minotaur!"

"I got a B on that!" Hay Lin stretched out her arms, clicking her fingers together as she prepared to gloat.

Irma however, did know when to shut up at times; like when trapped in a gigantic book maze. "Shht! She's being smart!"

Hay Lin's face fell a little, but Irma was more focussed on watching Taranee pace, her footsteps ticking out in slow rythme, "We can't just stand here... But we'd need something to lead us back... Cornelia! Hand me your sweater!"

Cornelia looked up at Taranee blankly, "How are we gonna find our way back by leaving my sweater behind..?" Her eyes widened, "Oh no! No, n-n-n-no! We can't Not my sweater!"

**...**

"Bleeugh, the booring part is sum of the boring-tedious, and the bori-" Will was interupted by three large knocks on her window. Her imagination told her it would be her friends, coming back to rescue her. Or Matt, coming back to rescue her. Or Uriah. It didn't matter as long as it wasn't a giant math textbook that they were throwing at her window.

Will Opened the window and leaned out, looking instictively to the road and street below, before a green creature jumped at her and she screamed. "Blunk!"

"Big trouble! Come!"

It wasn't math.

**...**

"It must be an inversion point." Will stood behind Yan Lin as she ironed, using an old traditional board, with lines of towels hung above her. "To Blunk, it would just seem as if the girls simply, disappeared."

"Does it work both ways? Can I get back?" Will thought best not to mention to the woman that she had snuck out to come to the restaurant and getting back may be more dangerous than whereever the girls were trapped. If her mom found out.

"Depends what's on the other side." Will frowned as the woman shook her head thoughtfully, "Without you, and the Heart, they have no power."

Suddenly the door swung open and Will jumped in her place. "_ 'This stake has been dropped on the floor!'_ " Will raised a questioning eyebrow to the rebel leader who slammed his tray down without noticing her presence, she had to hold back a laugh when he muttered under his breath, "How could she possibly know I did that!"

"Caleb." Yan Lin spoke and the rebel leader finally looked up, his eyes sweeping over the scene before meeting Will, silently questioning her presence. "There's trouble."

Blunk stepped forward. "Girls... Then no girls."


	5. Chapter 5

Will Vandom kept her eyes on the path ahead as she and the Metaworld's rebel leader walked in the silence. She was just waiting for the lecture on Professor Collins and ignoring his input - she doubted he would have already forgotten her mistake.

"Tha prépei na párete ta vivlía apó to Ápeiro póli gia tin érevna, ótan érthei páli i.."

"What?"

Caleb was startled by the Keeper's interruption of his muttering and it took him several seconds to recall his trail of thought. "Oh.. I was only speculating that I must collect some books from Meridian.. I remembered because of the bookstore.."

Caleb forced a smile when he noticed the redhead silently studying him, but as soon as his eyes reached hers she changed focus to the ground. Apparently it didn't matter that he'd let her childishness pass as Hay Lin had proposed; she was still mad at him.

They walked on for several minutes, and Caleb noticed that Will had begun rhythmically clenching and unclenching her fists. Finally she turned her head, not quite looking at him, dragging her teeth along her bottom lip before she spoke, "So.. You like to read..?"

"I don't dislike it." Will seemed to be disheartened by his answer, her head dropping further forward so her hair covered her face, though Caleb wasn't sure what he'd said wrong. "Books are a valuable source of information."

"I guess you're not that into fiction then.."

"We don't really have much of that.."

"Uh-huh.."

He knew she was looking for something more, but he honestly couldn't think of a damned thing to tell her.. He couldn't quite pinpoint why, but he suddenly felt a weight at the pit of his stomach. He knew he had to say something to her, he doubted an apology was appropriate, but maybe if he could foist her interests, but he hadn't yet had much chance to ask.. "We have a lot of mythical books though.." Before he could stop he offered her the information. It was a stupid thing to say; he doubted she cared about him wanting to research the guardians..

The clenching in his stomach ceased as did that of her hands; she turned to face him, "Oh yeah?"

Resolve filled his senses - he knew exactly what to say. "That's where you are. The Guardians of the Veil.." Caleb felt the a weight lift as her eyes lit up, a little like when he'd informed her about the time change.

"Really? Books.. Wow, I guess we're famous! ..The guardians I mean.."

It was heartening to see the Keeper grin shyly at the thoughts of fame, or perhaps even just the idea of acknowledgment. He would ultimately have to read into Guardian leaders in particular; something about her powerlessness didn't sit right in his mind.. "I'll have to get some books from the city soon, Kidemónon tou teíchous metaxý ton kósmon.." Caleb realized that he was talking once again mostly to himself, but she was listening intently. He suddenly remembered something he had meant to ask, "Your home is very tall.."

Will laughed at that, but unlike the other girls her laugh didn't pierce his skull painfully, rather encouraging him to want to know what she was thinking. "Oh, well, lot's of families live in the building," Caleb nodded, many of the rebellion' families stayed in the Infinite City when they were hunted, but they lived there to hide. He didn't understand why Earth families would choose to stay together, and was grateful that Will recognized this and expanded her explanation, "Um, it's kind of like a lot of little houses stacked on top of each other to save space on the ground." She'd been making a gesture of a pile with her hands and it was his turn to laugh as she looked ridiculous. At her look he sobered.

"Why weren't you with your girls?"

Caleb's brow furrowed as Will reddened when he referred to the guardians as _'her's'_, "Oh, I, uh.. Got a bad grade in math, so I had to study.."[0]

Caleb blinked at the girl before him, resisting the urge to simply blurt out: 'What?'. "Um.. Math?"

Will glanced at the rebel leader, with now blazing cheeks, then looked down at her thumbs which she began twiddling. "Oh, you know math.. Numbers; adding, subtracting-"

"Numerology?"

"Uh, yeah, sure, probably.."

"Useless and counterproductive for fighting a war. Concentrating on numbers only promotes trepidation; I try to leave that to someone else if I can help it."

Caleb continued and Will beamed as they continued down the road.

**...**

"All those nights. On a hand carved ceder sweater hanger. For nothing!" Cornelia seemed to faze through stages of staring icily, and being too afflicted to look, at Taranee as she unraveled the 'French pink' cashmere wool. Currently she was in staring mode. Her eyes followed the string of wool as it slid between the dark fingers of her 'friend'. "What did that _Theseus_ guy find at the end of his maze anyway?"

Hay Lin smiled sweetly, "A murderous monster with the head of a bull." Cornelia laughed uneasily, suddenly wondering why they hadn't stayed put where they'd landed.

* * *

><p>Kidemónon tou teíchous metaxý ton kósmon - Guardians of the wall between worlds<p>

[0] Will is also embarrassed about admitting to being bad at math to Caleb in fear he'll pick on her for it.


	6. Chapter 6

"_Where_ 'in the bookstore'?" Caleb kept his voice hushed in case of lurking Meridians, or maybe a nosy shop owner, and Will felt obliged to imitate him, thankful that he was yet to bring up professor Collins.

"Blunk said 'in the back'." As they walked through rows and stacks of disordered books she noticed a small figure on top of a shelf and stopped, Caleb following her line of vision in silence. She raised both hands in line with her shoulders, "Where?"

"No where! That's problem!" Blunk felt no need to stay quiet in the room, waving his arms animatedly. Will had a sudden urge to slap someone, and for once since meeting him it wasn't Caleb.

"Where were there no girls?" Something caught Will's eye and a shiver crept down her spine as she studied the maroon book spine. And it's lettering.

"Everywhere no girls!"

Will stepped forward, reaching up and felt an invisible force cloud over her senses. Dizzily she fell back, letting her vision blur at the edges, but a strong hand held her from the back, another wrapping around her wrist to hold her steady; she could see Caleb's face as she looked over her shoulder; his green eyes abundant with concern; his voice a mere breath, yet somehow it carried clear and full, "You okay?"

Will shook it off, blaming the tingling at the back of her neck on the fainting spell. "I'm fine, I just felt-" Will suddenly recalled why she'd nearly fainted and reached, this time more prominently, to the book.

"Blunk look this way, then that way, then- AHHH! No Caleb!"

**...**

"I say that way!" Cornelia pointed down another long shelf of books. They had been walking through the maze for hours, and Taranee suddenly felt glad that the bossy Cornelia would not be playing leader forever.. If they got out.

"Nuh uh." Taranee shook her head and pulled the wool taut, revealing that it crossed through the other end of where Cornelia was pointing. "We went that way." Irma crossed her line of vision and Taranee looked past her to see more of the line of wool.

"_And _this way." Irma walked forward looking along the other possible routes, stopping and beckoning with her hand. The others walked ahead and Taranee paused when she reached the end of the wool. She dropped it and followed.

Looking past the other girls, the end of the offending passage ended with an arch-window which seemed to emit an eerie greenish glow. As hey walked along Irma shuddered, "You'd thing someone who'd read all these books would be teaching evil by now."

Cornelia opened a door and led them through to what appeared to be a large kitchen which conveyed a medieval scenery. Walking down the stairs, Taranee froze when a woman gasped and saw them; her eyes wide. She whispered urgently, "Paidiá! You can't be here! Follow me!"

The woman scurried towards and opened a thick wooden door.

**...**

"Weird." Caleb realized he was still holding onto the petite girl when she spoke and let go, stepping to the side. She took a step back and squeaked as she fell again and Caleb instinctively leapt forward to catch her. He found himself staring into wide, shocked eyes of striking brown and at a loss for words. At least, slightly spooked by his speed, she seemed also to be dumb struck.

He carefully extracted himself from around her. "Um.." He swallowed, feeling her eyes dart to his throat. He couldn't quite get his voice to work; words barely coming out a whisper, "Feeling a little clumsy?" She laughed uneasily, but the joke did not rid the tension as he'd hoped it would so he chose then to stare blankly at the floor. Caleb's eyes did not miss the long line across the wood. He bent down and picked up the reddish string. "Where do you think this leads?"

Will blinked and seemed to return to her usual self, for which Caleb was glad as he feared she was freezing up again. "My guess? A very unhappy Cornelia." Will pulled out the Heart and whispered something that Caleb couldn't quite hear. The Heart however reacted, and Caleb watched the dim pink light engulf her; warmth fueling him which he guessed was from the transformation. Will became a silhouette in the brilliance of the magic, a shadow which curled and grew, he watched the clear lines of the wings sprouting from her back. It didn't matter that he couldn't see the details, the entire light show was breathtaking.

* * *

><p>paidiá - chidren<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

They had been walking for about five minutes before Caleb noticed a small beeping noise coming from beside him.. Will.

"You're beeping?"

"Yeah? Oh. Sometimes I don't notice over the sound of my.. It's my phone." Caleb watched as Will pulled the device out of her front trouser pocket.

"You're phone is beeping?" Hay Lin's phone rang. Though both seemed to make an undertoning buzz.

"Yeah, funny how they do that sometimes."

Caleb narrowed his eyes at that. He could hear the sarcasm in her voice, but didn't quite know what there was to be sarcastic about. "Who could possibly be calling you?"

Will turned around and rolled her eyes, "Well, a) Thanks for your opinion of my ability to make friends, and b) It's probably a very angry mother of mine."

"A mother? How many do you have?" It was his turn to be sarcastic, in return she raised her finger to her lips, pressing a button on the small machine.

"Shht!" Caleb obliged and watched as Will placed the phone over her ear, "Talk to me... Oh, hi! Um... Yeah, I know you still have the... Really? That's awesome! Thanks!"

She pressed another button and shoved the phone back into her pocked, gleaming. He smiled inquisitively, cocking an eyebrow at her. "Your mother isn't mad?"

"No, I just got the best news all day - there's space at the pet store, so I don't have to take the dormouse yet. I was starting to feel guilty about not getting back to him about i-"

"Him?" Caleb had certainly heard enough from Irma and Hay Lin to deduce who she had been talking to, "Matt?" Will seemed to perk up at the mention of the name.

"Yeah. You know him?"

"I know _of _him."

**...**

Will was glad when they started running. It was awkward enough when he'd caught her for the second time, and she'd been waiting for an insult, a scolding, but he'd only made a joke. And then her phone had started beeping. Apparently she got reception in the Metaworld. If this was it. Caleb had not been sure; making her feel very young when he'd pointed out that you got books on both sides of the viel and that it could just be a spell on the bookstore.

They reached an end to the wool, and apparently an end to the maze, running straight for a large arc of greenish light, which seeped through the large window. Suddenly Will became very aware of a familiar face in the room. Phobos.

"Aaah!" Will shreiked, "Caleb! Get back!"

"No!" Caleb pulled away from a hand she hadn't realized he'd been holding and ran towards the enemy, "Never back!" Caleb jumped onto a sliding ladder, the momentum pushing him toward the Prince. Will stumbled backwards; he obviously had no idea who he was trying to attack. Phobos would kill him in a second.

As if to prove her unspoken thought, Caleb threw himself at Phobos, who only raised an outspread hand to the boy and Caleb was suspended in the air. A swish of the prince's wrist threw Caleb across the space and he crashed past a heavy wooden chair; sliding across the stone floor.

Phobos approached Caleb and Will instinctively flew up, behind the shelf closest to them.

"**Den eímai dikós sas!**"

Will pushed herself against the bookcase, knowing it was unlikely to budge. She stepped away and threw herself onto it again, causing it to tumble, and istantly she twisted around to see Caleb roll out of the way. She pulled him up with ease; running on adrenaline, and ran towards a door. "Come on!"

"Mmmy Lordssship!" Caleb had pulled the door closed just as an unfamiliar man's voice began talking.

"CALEB AND THE GUARDIAN KEEPER!" Will pushed on, ignoring the coldness she felt when she realized that Phobos knew Caleb by name. He must've really pissed the prince off if he'd made that much of an impression on him. She was pretty sure the only reason he'd referred to her as Keeper was to inform the voice that she had the Heart on her.

**...**

"The other guardians must be near." Cedric was rather surprised and bowed low when he realized that the Prince Phobos had left his throne room for the Library of the Castle.

"Send out the tracker."

**...**

A large fire crackled and children danced around to a calming melody played on flute. Trill neared the four Earth girls that sat on a huddled group, picking at the meals they had been provided. The darkest skinned looked up, "This is wonderful food, but I'm afraid we couldn't eat it all.

"Once you told us you were the guardians, everybody brought something." Trill couldn't help herself, as curiousity overcame her, "Em, why did you come all de way here; from Earth, in human form?"

"Well," The smallest of the girls, and the only one eating properly spoke, "We were looking for a history textbook."

Trill smiled, "Hm, let me refill your drinks."

She knew that the guardians were taking pity on them; as she walked away the littlest spoke again. "Why isn't anyone else eating..?"

Trill listened and turned to subtly catch the authorative blonde lean forward, "Um, Hay Lin, I think this is all the food they have."

"Kind of puts a lost essay into perspective.."

Trill picked up the water and returned to the girls, "When Phobos took the throne, a light went out over this land. Our men are jailed. Our crops are stolen. We have no security. Nothing for ourselves, but our dreams." Trill looked around to make sure no one would overhear. "I hear things in the castle. They say Phobos has a sister on the other side. Could this be true?"

The girl's eyes widened and they exchanged looks. Clearly they could not confirm the news. "A sister?"

"They say she doesn't know her identity, or even that she was not born on Earth." The brunette whispered something that Trill didn't catch, so she continued on, "Perhaps you could find her first! For years, we have suffered under Phobos. Forced to work in his kitchens, in his castle. His stables. His mines. We always have hope, but sometimes I fear we hope in vain."

"We'll find the heir and get her back! We promise you!" Trill wondered about the validity of the promise as the blonde, who she suspected was their leader's brow furrowed.

"I don't get it though. Why would Phobos try to find someone who might replace him?" Trill never got a chance to reply as everyone stopped the festivity. A roaring beast. She wondered if it would be a lurden with an officer to send them back to work, but what she saw scared her more.

"The Tracker!"

* * *

><p>Den eímai dikós sas - I am not yoursI do not belong to you


	8. Chapter 8

Any more ideas are greatly appreciated, thanks!

Don't know if I've made it clear, but Caleb never bothered to read about the guardians: as they were meant to be mythical, Caleb didn't bother much as he didn't see how it would help in the war.

The cell reception is a power thing, but they don't really know that.

* * *

><p>The 'Tracker' was a skeletal figure, with thick grey, leathery skin which hung over his bones illuminating his thinness. He stared directly at the girls with demonic red eyes, from under a wide brimmed black hat, that turned up at one side, and had a high pointy crown. Beside him a dog-like creature snarled, drooling heavily.<p>

"That is so not what I wanted to see!"

The 'Tracker' slowly wound a large chain around one muscular arm, at the end glowed green a sphere of weighty metal.

"RUN!" Everyone disapeared, shouting and screaming, but the girls were transfixed as the 'Tracker pulled back the chain and swung it in their direction; the chain lighting up green.

Irma found her voice first, "Into the forest!"

The group ran for their lives, not daring to look back to see how close the beastly things were, but hearing the heavy breathing and growling. They practically flew over the top of the hill and Irma and Taranee began skidding down on foot. Hay Lin crashed, however, into Cornelia, and the pair shreiked, rolling down the hill. Some how Cornelia found herself on her feet, and pulling Hay Lin up, they caught up with the others; diving into a hollow log. "You think he can find us in here?"

The chain links could be hear clanging together and as if to answer, the bark above them flew from them, and they found themselves running again.

"We.. Can't.. Keep.. Running!" Irma puffed out, they were losing speed, while the Tracker seemed to keep pace. "Gotta.. Go.. Up!"

The girls leapt at a tree in the center of the field they were in, and Irma pulled Hay Lin up. The Tracker swung again and the chain wound around the branch they were climbing from, breaking it off just beside where Hay Lin and Irma stood. Hay Lin backed into Irma, who had clung onto the trunk as the 'dog' jumped onto the branch, hanging by it's front legs, "Nice doggy!"

Irma leaned around Hay Lin and kicked the dog off, climbing up to the next level and taking Hay Lin with her.

The girl's reached the top of the tree, and Taranee glanced down at the ground, where every other level's branch had been broken and lay. "Can't we jump to another tree? Like a shorter one?"

The Tracker swung at the girls, but the chain reached it's limit before it reached the branch, "We're safe here.. I think."

The Tracker growled, dropping the chain and pulling up his large layered cloak, revealing not only his skeletal, yet creepily muscular torso, but also something else. Taranee screamed, "BATS!"

The little bat-like mosters flew at the trunk of the tree and began knawing at it, causing a large cloud of sawdust to form. Irma laughed nervously. "Looks like you'll be in a shorter tree after all.."

The tree began to tip and the girls held on for dear life.

"GUARDIANS UNITE!"

In a swirl of lights te girls flew up, embracing their transformations and calling out the element which's power flowed throughout them.

"Will!" Caleb tried not to draw attention to himself, watching as Hay Lin shouted and flew up to the red head, "How did you find us!"

"Are you kidding? There's a trail of mutant dog-slobber all the way up to the castle!" Caleb grinned, recalling her rather forthright disgust. "And then there was also the memerable echoing of 'BATS!' through the forest, just in case we had doubts it was you."

Caleb rolled his eyes, but even he had found Taranee's yell quite humorous. Then the rattle of chains caught his attention. The Tracker was a well known and feared beast, yet Caleb had escaped him on numerous occasions. His eyes widened as the chain flew up, wrapping around the leg of none other than Will herself.

Caleb held himself back; Hay Lin and Irma reacted instantly, throwing water and wind at the Tracker until he was washed away from his chain. Will began tugging herself up and Caleb muttered harshly to himself, "What are you doing! Get it off!"

The Tracker was up again, and pulled Will down in a second, Caleb started to move out of the trees where he hid and only halted when the earth began to shake. Cornelia. A tree flew from the ground, with the Tracker attached and Will pulled off the now free chain, swinging it in his direction. He caught it, glad that she had kept her focus on her surroundings and noticed his entrance. He knew he would have to amend his earlier mistake and take back his standing as a proffesional. The dog growled at him, readying itself to pounce as Caleb mocked; swinging the ball of the chain back and forth rythmically. Caleb glanced up at Will, still guilty over his insanity when pouncing for Phobos. Still confused at to how she'd knocked the bookcase. Maybe her guardian form made her stronger.

Cornelia screamed as the dog ran at him, picking it up with a branch of the tree. She'd ruined his chaces of righting himself. She flew down clapping. "Nice job! Need a lift to the nearest portal?"

Caleb rolled his eyes, but smiled so she didn't get upset; he doubted the wrong side of the strongest Guardian was a safe place to be. "Thanks, I'll walk."

* * *

><p>Note how Caleb is constantly feeling guilty.. Maybe mistaking another feeling for guilt..<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Alrighty, so I spent most of my computer time today doing research (a.k.a. reading the comic, teehee) so there's no much, but I'm torn between special and non as you'll see below. I've taken note of the lack of Phobos in my previous specials, but I think I can get him into this one for some verbal Caleb-bashing and evil plans.

* * *

><p><strong>THE BIG QUESTION<strong>

**Do we want Divide and Conquer now, or do we want to have a special The Prophecy's Child?**

**And yes, you have to blank vote it (vote without summary) with no information other than that it's WxC and some Caleb-nformation, plus Will-nformation regarding her guardianness..**

**PM or review!**

**You have 18hrs to vote people! My Scottish clock says it's roughly 2pm, so I'll wait until 8am tomorrow to decide so I have time to finish any details of my plan for whichever you choose!**

* * *

><p>With the Tracker and his dog left hanging from Cornelia's tree, Will walked along next to their group. Surprise, surprise, Cornelia seemed eager to talk. Will held back the urge to point out Cornelia had planned to fly until Caleb had dismissed her.<p>

"We met some villagers. They led us out of the castle."

"I can't stop thinking about how horrible our lives are under Phobos!"

"They gave us their own food!"

Will trailed behind, her eyes on her surroundings. She knew Caleb was probably keeping lookout anyway, but after the night she'd had, she was on edge.

"They're good people. Don't worry," Will caught a glance from Caleb and her eyes narrowed. She had noticed that he was constantly doing that. Checking her. She supposed it was probably due to him having to save her frozen ass at least twice already. "In the days to come, you'll have plenty of chances to repay them."

She let her mind wander then. To the last few weeks. Caleb seemed much nicer when they were together earlier, and he had actually been smiling -like a genuinely happy smile- when they'd walked from the castle to the Tracker. She wondered if maybe he was homesick. It may have only been about a week or so, but Will knew from her personal moving experience, that the first few days were the worst. She didn't miss home so much. But that was different.

**...**

"HEY!" Elyon sprinted forward; her plaits flying behind her as she whirled around in front of the girl. "Hey! Where'd you guys go yesterday! You just left me in that store!"

Cornelia's eyes bulged and she scrated her head, "Elyon, I am so sorry! My mind was in another world.."

Elyon refused to give up like that and pouted, crossing her arms and turning away, "You've been doing this alot lately! Are we bestfriends or what?"

"Of course we are!" Cornelia wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and Elyon dropped her head. "C'mon, let me buy you a doughnut."

Elyon refused to look up, and mumbled into her friend's shoulder, "You know I don't eat doughnuts."

"Yeah.." Elyon stole a glance, and saw a glint in Cornelia's eyes as the blondes smile widened, "But there's a _really _cute guy selling!"

"A _really_ cute guy?" Eylon looked up at her friend curiously. She could never resist a _really_ cute guy..

**...**

"I apologise." Taranee stood to attention in front of her R.S. teacher, ignoring his sloppy attire ( his suit jacket buttoned up wrong and his tie hanging out, plus one leg of his trousers tucked into his yellow and red polka-dotty socks).

"For what?" Taranee watched Mr Pudington scratch his head.

"For making such a _big _deal out of an essay.." Taranee mumbled the next part, "And for attempting to make the principle suspend you without pay.. Heh heh.."

"Ahh.." Taranee cringed at Mr Pudington's puzzled expression. He really shouldn't be allowed to teach. Not even Religion and Myth. "Well, I apologise for leaving your essay in my fridge and bringing a pound of ham to school instead."

"What." Taranee's jaw dropped, but Mr Pudington didn't seem to notice.

"Here." He shoved the crushed papers into her arms. "A perfect paper. Your description of the labyrinth is outstanding. Almost as if you were there!"

Taranee laughed nervously._'Wonder what it'd be like if I wrote one now..'_

**...**

"Have you had a chance to look at the menu?" Caleb smiled charmingly at the young woman and Yan Lin's eyebrows raised a little when the woman blushed. She had to have been at least thirty.

The woman opened her menu, with her eyes glued to Caleb and Yal Lin smiled. She had watched long enough to know that Caleb's patience wouldn't last long, but was surprised as he held his own. Perhaps ladies did not bother him as the men and families had, though her suspitions with Will did not faulter. He had insisted that he did not mean that he wanted her, and Yan Lin had no doubt that he was telling the truth. But she was also very aware that at a young age, boys often couldn't control themselves. They were brash, dishonest and greedy at the best of times and Caleb was not unknowing of the Heart around Will's neck.

When the thirty-something finally dragged her eyes away to read the order options she instantly droppped the menu with a small scream. Yan Lin rushed forward as Caleb picked up the menu. He sighed and held it up for her to see. "Blunk."


End file.
